A Sage in Oz
by NeonZangetsu
Summary: Death sends a shinobi-turned-sage to a world rarely know, and seldom seen. A land with a yellow brick road, an emerald city, and a populace in desperate need of saving from a very, very wicked witch. And what's all this about a prophecy? Based off The movie: Oz, the Great and Powerful! NarutoxTheodora! Fluff, Romance, etc.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Just got done watching Oz the Great and Powerful! Great movie! Excellent movie! And yet, despite the blockbuster that it was, I couldn't help but feel bad for the wicked witch, aka Theodora, and what happened to her. Don't get me wrong, Mila Kunis portrayed her role marvelously but I was pissed to high HELL at how easily her character was jilted by circumstances beyond her control. I won't spoil it for you, but I wanted to tear the head off of a certain witch. If you've seen the movie, then you'll know what I mean**

**And thus, a little oneshot/crossover idea was born. Be patient with me here! I'm reconstructing this entirely from memory and even I cannot hope to prefectly produce every line in its entirety. That being said, if by some chance you haven't been to see Oz, be sure to see it! Remember, I own nothing!**

** And with that, I hope you enjoy this little oneshot of...**

**... A Sage in Oz!**

_"You flee before me, fear at my face. You cower in my shadow, and leave this place. My heart is cold, it does not open. My blood is spilt, my breath is broken. And on I walk, to a doom i know well. Death has wrung his mighty bell. But i still stand, I am still here. You know my name, i know no fear. As long as hope yet has a glance I will defend it with my lance. And hope no other will do what i must for this road is of blood lust I am a hero, who stands alone. I am a hear, who goes unknown.."_

_~?_

**A Sage in Oz**

_"Bloooooooooody heeeeeeeeeeeeeeellll!"_

A loud shout of alarm and disbelief pierced the afternoon of Oz, trailing off into a series of colorful expletitives amidst the sound of snapping branches as a stranger fell from the heavens. Precious little could be seen of him he flailed about; tattered garments torn and slashed, his white cloak whipping the wild winds whilst he struggled for balance and found none. For there was none to be found here above the clouds, parting as they did now before his rapidly descending form. Nothing to grab but empty air, naught to slow his inevitable descent.

Where the devil was he? The last thing he remembered was being captured by Madara_-whom he now knew to be Uchiha Obito_-then the pain; of having Kurama extracted from his body. In a last ditch attempt to escape from the clutches of akatsuki, the two of them had detonated a tailed beast bomb in the midst of the ritual. Unfortunately with that much chakra in one place, there were bound to be...repercussions. He recalled little of what had happened next, save that Obito had tried to re-direct the blast with his space-time ninjutsu...

And then everything became blurry.

Now here he was, falling facefirst through the clouds, with no way of slowing his momentum. Where the blazes was he? Mountains. He was afforded a brief view of their misty peaks as he finally broke through the cloud cover, laying eyes upon a realm as strange as it was alien. Lush forests, babbling brooks, wild, untamed country, for as far as the eye could see. Or so he thought, until he spied something else; there, in the distance. A city. Bright and glistening in the early morning light, it shone like a second star; a metropolis made of elegant emerald.

_Wow._

Words alone could not hope to describe the wonderful world laid out before him; even so, he'd only an instant to take it in before he hurtled past, streaking across the sky like a blazing comet. He was coming in fast, by his standards. Very fast.

_Too fast!_

He flung both arms before his face as the ground rushed up to greet him, blue eyes narrowing in determination, whiskered cheeks pinching in a scowl of exertion. A lesser being would've broken their body-and most of their face-dashing themselves on the ground below. Fortunately for him-unfortunately for the ground-he knew a thing or two about surviving falls. Even as he fell he twisted his body, angling for the nearby pond in the faint hope of ending his descent on a more damp note rather than a painful one. With a mere thought he both gathered and wreathed his body in chakra, mildly pleased to see that for all intensive purposes, his chakra shroud still served him. He dared to hope against hope that he'd survive the collision relatively intact. It wasn't anywhere near as pleasant as he'd hoped.

"Oh for the love of ramen-

His brief tirade ended in a mouthful of water and mud. He dove beneath the surface of the shallow pool like a splinter, simply soaking himself to the bone rather than shattering his skull on the riverbank some yards to the east. He winced as his hitiate struck against a rock, likely saving him from gashing his forehead to the bone or worse. His courage had saved him from an abrupt end, but now what? Putting the matter aside, there was also the matter of where he was. Flopping to his feet, the shinobi-for he could be nothing but-resolutely wrung out his battered coat and shook himself of all moisture, stomped his sandals free of the muck.

_Naruto._

At the mere mention of his name the blond started, flopping about in the water in shock and surprise. His sudden splash sent a flock of sparrows sputtering; sweeping from their perches in a cacophony of cries. Naruto watched them go, joined as they were by a host of crimson butterflies, shaking his head.

"Kurama?" he ventured, listening for any sign of his tenant.

Silence reigned supreme.

"I swear by my god-given name," he began with a growl, "I better not be hearing things...

Naruto pulled himself from the water with a groan, flopping onto the riverbank with a sigh. Ouch! He winced as his back struck something solid. Something wooden. Frowning he sat up, turning to regard the object with a keen eye. Hmmm? A box? With fumbling fingers he opened it, somewhat amused as a pair of tiny figures greeted him, their bodies interwtined in dance. A faint melody drifted upward to greet his ears mere moments later. This was no mere box, he realized This was a music box! Odd that he should find one way out here in the middle of nowhere. of all find that it was no box, but rather, a music box.

"Am I dreaming?" he wondered aloud. Perhaps he was in heaven after all?

The sharp snap of a twig captured his attention, forced him to pocket the box as he lurched to his feet.

Naruto frowned. _There._ He could see a glimmer of red, and white, peeking out at him just beyond/behind the bushes of the bank. Some kind of beast, perhaps? He scowled, dipped a hand into his pouch for a kunai, taking comfort as his fingers wrapped around the cold handle of the weapon. Whomever-whatever-lurked beyond the brush, they would not catch him unawares. They'd just begun to raise their head when he spoke, his tone low and soothing as he raised the knife in preparation to throw; on the off chance this visitor proved to be unfriendly.

"Is anyone there-

Two things happened at once. First, someone cried out. In that very instant a small fireball erupted from the brush, carromed harmlessly off a nearby branch and screamed toward his stomach. The blond balked, but only briefly; he knew far too well what inattention would cost him. Aborting the throw, he flung himself out of harms way and skipped backwards toward the pond in retreat. Years of experience kicked in as he tucked and rolled, bobbed and weaved, his mind awhirl with possibilties and possible outcomes. Whomever was hiding behind those bushes, was clearly a shinobi. They had to be. How else could they fling fireballs at him? _It might be a shinobi,_ his subconcsious reminded him, _It might be some sort of firebreathing monster_.

A fire-breathing monster. Right.

Some heaven this place was!

"Oi!" He barked, dodging another ball of fire. "Why_-dodge-_the hell-_dodge-_are you_-dodge_-attacking me?!"

His attacker didn't deign to reply.

Another flaming sphere whisked toward him, but this time he was ready. Drifting to the right and aside, he batted the deadly missile down and into the pond, dissipating it into so much steam. There was a sharp sting of pain in his hand as his fingers made contact with the flame; his mind barely registered it as he flung himself forward into the brush and his attacker.

"Oof!" There was a decidedly feminine cry of surprise as he slammed into them-whoever they were-knocking them from their perch and into the ground. They rolled against one another, wrestling for control amidst the watery grasses of the marsh. Naruto squinted his eyes shut as a fireball seared incredibly close to his face, adding an impomptu fourth whisker to the right side of his cheek.

He grappled with them a moment longer idly wondering why they hadn't clawed out his face yet. It wasn't until he finally opened his eyes that he realized his mistake.

"Hey!"

"Huh?"

Closer inspection revealed this was not a beast beneath him all but rather, a young woman! Naruto gawped at her for a moment, unable to speak. And why should he? He'd never found himself in such a position before, certainly not with someone of the fairer sex! She gazed up at him, ruby red lips parted in genuine surprise.

"Hello?" Naruto offered.

"H-Hello." she replied, flushing. "Would you very much mind getting off me?"

"Erm...sorry about that." Burning with embarassment the blond peeled himself away from her, allowing her to retrieve what looked like a large red-rimmed hat.

"I saw you fall from the sky."

Naruto blanched at the memory of his impromptu landing.

"Well, yeah." he scrubbed the back of his head with a hand, wincing as he did so at the small starburst of pain in his temple. "That happened. Any idea where here is, exactly?" The woman seemed to regard him for a long moment, her gaze quizical.

"You're in Oz." she said, as though this somehow explained everything.

Naruto blinked.

_"Oz?"_

Nope, definitely not heaven!

**A/N: Eh, it was my first Naruto/Wizard of Oz crossover, so pardon me if its a bit rusty. I wrote it simply because I felt bad for Theodora and the way she was taken advantage of. Again, if you have not seen the new Oz movie, get your ass out there and see it! Its well worth the price of admission! That's all folks! If any of you could remember some of the line that'd help! lol**

** Unless you'd like it to be continued, of course! Naruto in the land of oz...what could possibly go wrong with that I wonder, hmm? Regardless, I worked straight through the night on this story, so I would sincerely appreciate your feedback, whatever it might be! Hopefully it'll be positive...LOL**

**So, in the immortal words of Atlas...**

**...Review...would you kindly? And enjoy the possible preview! (On the off chance anyone wants this story to be continued...)**

**(Possible Preview (note it is fragmented)**

_"And you are?"_

_The lady in red blinked her large eyes at him._

_"I'm Theodora the good witch."_

_"Witch?" Naruto was baffled. "Where's your broom?"_

_"Why would I need a broom?"_

_"Well that's," One look at her told her she hadn't the foggiest idea what he was talking about. "Wait a second, did you say something about a wizard?" He cast about for one such person, and finding none,paled._

_"Are you the great man we've been waiting for?"_

_"I think I could be."_

_Indeed, it was a long night. Not just or the shinobi known as Uzumaki Naruto..._

_"You don't know much about witches, do you?"_

_"I could say the same for you-hey!" the former genin guffawed, stung by the insult._

_"Never given you a gift, never danced," Naruto mumbled to himself, "Jeez!"_

_He stood from the log abruptly, offering her his ehand._

_"Pardon?"_

_"I think its about time you learned."_

_"Put your hand like this." Naruto raised his hand, palmp upturned, fingers splayed. She regarded him skeptically for a moment before placing her own hand against his. "There." Naruto nodded in affirmation. "Now, you just step closer like this," Naruto circled an arm round her waist, beckoning her, pulling her closer. Theodora complied...though not in the way he expected._

_"Oh?"_

_Theodora stepped forward meekly, tentatively, pressing herself against him as though she were afraid he'd vanish into mist; as though this were all some wonderful dream from which she might wake at any moment; a terrible phantasm meant to haunt and torment her in her loneliness. Naruto gulped, trying desperately to recall the dancing lessons ero-senin had hammered into his head during their training trip. Honestly, he'd hadn't thought he'd actually make use of them in such a fashion..._

_Theodora knew not who kissed whom; only that her lips were suddenly against his, and she was content to leave them that way. Her thoughts of the prophecy were the furthest thing from her mind as she peeled off his coat, pushing him down to the ground, pressing against him._

_And thus was the night._

**R&R! =D**


	2. Schmooze a Witch

**A/N: Just got done watching Oz the Great and Powerful! Great movie! Excellent movie! And yet, despite the blockbuster that it was, I couldn't help but feel bad for the wicked witch, aka Theodora, and what happened to her. Don't get me wrong, Mila Kunis portrayed her role marvelously but I was pissed to high HELL at how easily her character was jilted by circumstances beyond her control. I won't spoil it for you, but I wanted to tear the head off of a certain witch. If you've seen the movie, then you'll know what I mean**

**And thus, a littlecrossover idea was born. Be patient with me here! I'm reconstructing this mostly from memory and even I cannot hope to prefectly produce every line in its entirety. That being said, if by some chance you haven't been to see Oz, be sure to see it! I was going to leave this as a oneshot but since everyones been begging me to continue...**

**Remember, I own nothing!**

** And with that, I hope you enjoy thiS...**

**... A Sage in Oz!**

_"Huh. A wizard..._

_~?_

**Schmooze a Witch**

_"Oz?"_

Naruto blinked, unable to take in the wonderful world surrounding him without gawping. Wondrous didn't even begin to describe it.

"It's like no place I've ever seen..."

"Shouldn't you do something about your clothes, sir?" The woman in red asked, indicating his soaked state.

"Oh, this?" Naruto shrugged at his sorry, soggy state. "It's nothing. Just a sec." He snapped his fingers together and conjured a tiny current of wind chakra between his fingers, spreading it from his hand to his attire, drying his clothes in an instant. The lady in red gasped in surprise, bright eyes wide with shock. Naruto couldn't blame her. Ever since becoming a sage, he'd found he could freely mainipulate chakra whenever he so desired. It was rather spectacular, after all, if he did say so himself.

He wasn't all prepared for what came next. The lady in red loosed a squeal of delight as childlike was it was innocent; she suddenly looked as though she might embrace him, but held herself back at the last instant. He blinked, Naruto did. What the hell was going on here...?

"I knew it!" She exulted, taking his hands in her own. The king's prophecy _was_ true! Or, well, at least most of it! He said that a great wizard bearing the name of our land will descend from the heavens, and save us all. And here you are! A wizard, just as he said." She gave a nod of satisfaction, her smile outshone the sun. "Here to claim your throne! And now Oz will be what it once was! Whatever is your name, oh great mage?"

"Me?" Naruto touched a finger to his chest. "Um..the name's Naruto. Uzumaki Naruto. And you are...?"

The lady in red blinked her large eyes at him as though it had only just occured to her that someone might actualy _want _to know her name.

"I am Theodora, the Good Witch."

_"You're a witch?"_ Naruto was baffled. "No way. Uh-uh."

"I am indeed!" Theodora replied, miffed.

"Then where's your broom?" Naruto challenged.

Theodora blinked.

"What would I do with a broom?"

"Well, fly obviously-" One look at her told Naruto she hadn't the foggiest idea what he meant. "Wait a second, did you say something about a wizard?" He cast about for one such person, and finding none, paled. Surely she didn't think _he_ was a wizard, did she? Because he wasn't! He was a shinobi! That was the _furthest_ thing from a wizard! The fact that he was a sage might make him seem somewhat similar...but still! _Chakra_ wasn't magic! Not in the slightest!

"Well...you are the Wizard, aren't you?" Theodora asked, her words fraught with hope. "You _are_ the great man we've been waiting for? Oh, please say that you are!"

Naruto paused, considering. What made a man great? His deeds? His thoughts? His words? Or was it his heart? A few months ago he wouldn't have considered himself a great man. Until he'd found the courage to stand up against the endless cycle of pain and violence that plagued his world, he hadn't considered himself much of a _man_ at all. And yet as Theodora stared at him overlong, he couldn't help but feel sorry for her plight. The words were loose from his lips almost before he could think to take them back.

"I think I could be-

A piercing roar rattled the trees overhead, eclipsing whatever else he might've said.

"It's the wicked witch's minions!" Theodora cried. "She's sent them to kill you!"

"Kill me?" Naruto arched an eyebrow. "Well, isn't that just lovely."

Theodora tugged at his arm.

"We better hurry or your reign will be over before its begun!"

"Funny, I was thinking the same thing!"

Without a second thought he swept the witch off her feet-literally-and bolted in the opposite direction. The ground blurred beneath his feet like a mosaic tapestry, the wonderous world of Oz and her landscape fading to mottled browns and wet greens with a blue blur for the sky as he sprinted down the path.

"W-What're you doing?!" the witch sputtered.

"Running!" Naruto shot back as he cleared a large boulder in a single bound. "I thought that much was obvious!"

"I meant why are you carrying me?!"

"Oh, that?" Naruto mused to himself, "Well, I suppose you could say I have some experience when it comes to dealing with damesel in distress." And he did. There had been that one time in the Land of Spring, another with the priestess of Demon Country, still a third with Amaru and then there had been that whole incident with the Blood Prison...he'd done this sort of thing so many times he'd lost track! Granted, Shion had been one of the only damsels he'd ever had the privilege to carry-not to mention sleep with-and Theodora had already proved herself a great deal different than the defiant priestess-

"Yow!" Naruto winced as a stone careened past his face, opening a thin slit upon his whiskered cheek, forcing him to focus on their wild flight through the forest.

"There's no need for you to carry me!" The girl looked at him pointedly as they ran. She pierced with a knowing gaze, one that he was in no way prepared for, a gaze that said 'I know what you're doing and I want you to stop.' But Naruto held no allusions to that. He was a good deal faster than Theodora, and to be honest, he saw no harm in carrying her. But her words had struck a chord in him. Why was he, the first sage since that of the Rikudo Senin, running from some hapless beast of prey.

"Oh for the love of-why _am_ I running?! Naruto skidded to a halt, sandals grinding against the dirt. Setting Theodora down, he rounded on their pursuers, arms spread wide. Blue eyes snapped slitted as he gathered the chakra in his stomach and pooled it there, willing it _-allowing it-_ to spread to the rest of his body. Scarce had he done so than their pursuer came crashing through the undergrowth, slavering maw gaping wide, not only for him, but for anything else in its path. Including Theodora.

_What in the nine hells?_

Shock nearly cost Naruto his control and the fight as he finally laid eyes on their pursuer; a great, winged baboon, fur black as night, several times its normal size. and by the look of those fangs, it had no qualms about rending Theodora limb from limb to get to him. He was suddenly-painfully-reminded of Hinata, of the love of his life stepping between him and Uchiha Madara to take the death blow meant for him. In that instant, there was no time. None at all.

Naruto didn't think; he just reacted.

_"What are you doing, wizard?!"_ Theodora cried out in shock as he hauled her backwards, throwing himslef into harms way even as she strove to protect him. Without so much as a word, Naruto brought both palms together, chakra flaring from his form like wildfire. Theodora gasped, _gasped_ as that chakra cloak formed, wreathing in a sheathe of golden flame. Crimson eyes narrow in concentration, the shinobi raised a hand in recompense for their pursuer's temerity.

"Fighting back!" Naruto growled, a miniature rasengan spiraling at the tip of his index finger. A rasenshuriken would've done the job just as well-if not better-but he had no desire to kill their attacker, certainly not until he knew more about this odd world.

_"Rasengan."_

The spiraling sphere smashed into the creature's armored chest with the force of a typhoon, rending armor and flesh before sending the winged demon careening to the ground. Naruto blinked in surprise, staring at his hands, stunned. He hadn't meant to do that! Helpless, he watched the beast plummet to the earth like so much dead weight. What was that just now? Was something in this world affecthing his chakra? Making it more powerful? Without Kurama to confirm it, he couldn't be sure.

"I knew it!" Theodora gushed! "You _are_ the wizard!"

"I'd call myself more of a sage than a wizard," Naruto shrugged off her praise, "But hey, why not?" He strode toward the baboon with wariness and trepidation, still frightened by its own ferocity. Flying babboons. That was definitely a new one. Tentatively, he nudged it in the chest with his boot. It didn't stir. Naruto nudged it again, rolling it over onto his back.. Still no response. Frowning, Naruto reached down for its tail.

_"Yiiiiiiiii!"_

One swift tug on the tail confirmed that the winged beast was in fact, still alive. Very much so! It lurched upright in his grasp, talons scrabbling for his throat, tearing a bloody line across his chest. Naruto gasped as its claws found their mark, forcing him to loose his hold on the creature before it could gouge his eyes out. A strong right hook sent the maddened monkey sprawling on the grass. It lurched upright with a snarl, and gave him a baleful glare,looking as though it had every intention to come at him.

A growl from the blonde made it reconsider; it was with a perverse pleasure that he saw fear dawn in the creature's eyes. He held its gaze a moment longer and beckoned.

"Come, on then."

The babboon lasted another instant, then it took off shrieking into the distance. Before long it was little more than a speck on the horizon, then not even that. Naruto watched it go and reluctantly released the cloak, his scarlet eyes fading back to blue, his shoulders slumping with relief. Just what the hell was that thing? He'd never seen anything like it in the elemental nations, and he'd come across all sorts of horrors! He shuddered, it was more than a little disturbing to know there probably packs of those...things, roaming the skies.

"You're bleeding!" Theodora's gasp drew him out of his reverie.

"It's nothing." Naruto waved her ministrations away thoughtlessly. "I'll be-

He froze, the words turning to ash in his mouth. Something was wrong. He wasn't healing. He tried to reach for Kurama's chakra, but to no avail. Nothing happened. Ordinarily, even the slightest wounds were restored almost instantly thanks to the kitsune's chakra. But Kurama wasn't there. No. That wasn't possible. He hadn't had time to check since finding himself in Oz, but now that he finally did...

Naruto dove into his mind, appearing where the seal used to be before he'd opened it.

_Nothing._

All that awaited him was a giant, empty space, pitch black and darkness. There was no point in looking, no sense in calling out, and yet he did so anyway; hollered until his throat was raw. No one answered. Nothing an no one came.

_"Kurama!"_

Nothing!

_"Oi, baka kitsune!"_

No reply.

_"ANSWER ME!"_

The only answer was the overwhelming emptiness in his own heart. Losing the fox was almost as bad as losing Hinata. Ah, who was he kidding? It was worse! Whereas he'd only recently gotten together with the pale-eyed heiress before her demise, Kurama had been there his _whole life_. Their friendship was one forged in fire, from unruly host and angry tenant to unlikely partners-then finally friends. If there was anyone who knew his pain, the pain of his childhood, the agony felt as he grew into the young man he was now, it was the old biju. Kami, the void left behind by the kitsune _hurt._ It ached, so much like an open wound would. It hurt, to know that while he _could_ still use the cloak-though deprived of its healing ability-he could no longer converse with the ever present voice in his head, the one entity that most likely knew him better than he himself.

Madara and Obito had taken him, then. Taken the fox like everything else, leaving him with only his life.

_Kurama...I'll miss you, old friend._

Barring his tears, the blonde shook his head. It took a great effort to return to reality on his part, he made it just in time to see Theodora fussing over the bleeding scratches on his chest.

"Let me see." The witch was adamant as she pushed past his arms. "It might be infected."

He opened his mouth to protest...

...and promptly snapped it shut as Theodora laid a hand against his chest.

A faint red glow stemmed from her fingertips, filling his chest with warmth. He knew this feeling. He'd felt it countless times when Kurama's chakra restored him. Theodora was_...healing him?_ At first Naruto didn't want to believe it. Didn't want to see it. Eventually, his curiosity won out. He glanced down at Theodora's prim face, watching her eyes close with concentration, feeling her power flood into him. It burned like fire, but at the same time, it was a good burn. Almost pleasant.

Within seconds, all that remained was a faint pink scar.

"There." she relented, stepping back from him.

Naruto relented, numbed by the realization. In the past, he'd thrown himself into battle headlong, knowing that Kurama would heal all but the worst of his injuries. Knowing that the kitsune was gone left him chilled. He was mortal now. Vulnerable. He'd shaken hands with death many times during his career as a shinobi; never had it felt so close to him as it did now.

"That was foolish of you, back there." Naruto rebuked her misplaced bravery with a mild frown.

Theodora flinched and his expression softened.

"What if something had happened to you?" he asked, thinking of the last time someone-Hinata-had taken a blow like that for him, for his sake. "I'd never have been able to forgive myself." He saw a strange emotion in Theodora's eyes in that instant; not quite gratitude, nor joy. Something else. Something...more.

"I'm sorry." the witch apologized. "I don't know what came over me, truly." she squirmed beneath his penetrating gaze. "It's just that you're our only wizard-

-Sage!" Naruto interrupted.

-and without you, no one will be able to save the kingdom and-

Naruto saw her begin to tear up and sighed.

"Hai hai," he muttered in japanese. "Don't cry. It's alright. No one's blaming you for what you did. Just be more careful next time, okay?"

"Truly?"

"Yes, truly." He shook his head and risked a glance toward the horizon, toward the setting sun. He didn't relish the prospect of facing more of those...things at night.

"We should probably fight someplace to stay the night," he suggested, moving on. "And when we do, maybe you should start from the beginning about this whole wizard business..."

* * *

_(Later that evening)_

Indeed, it proved to be a long evening. Not just or the shinobi known as Uzumaki Naruto...

...but for a certain witch as well.

"Alright, so lets summarize." Naruto raised a hand and began to count off on his fingers, one by one. "You're a witch." At Thedora's firm nod, he continued. "You have two sisters, who, surprise surprise, are also witches much like yourself. The three of you are the daughters to a king-excuse me, former king." he ammended, at her somber expression, "Because one of you wanted the throne for yourself. So that someone, poisoned your father, tried to sieze the throne, and was subsquently driven from this 'Emerald City' by your elder sister, Evanora.

"And this is all aboutt a prophecy, which you think I'm a part of, despite the fact that my name doesn't sound a damned _thing_ like Oz. How am I doing so far, Theo-chan?"

The witch tilted her head in slight confusion at that remark.

"Chan?"

Naruto bit back an exasperated groan of aggravation. English. _Right._ He explained in halting tones what 'chan' meant, reapeating everything he'd just said word for word. It was odd, really. At times, Theodora seemed to be able to understand him flawlessly. At others...well, it wasn't her fault he supposed. The language barrier was still fresh between them, and while he could understand her word for word-thank kami for the english lessons Tsunade made him take-he found himself terribly, horribly rusty when it came to actually using that knowledge. He much rather preferred to speak his native language-japanese-and it was only with great, and yielding hesitation that he spoke english.

"You don't know much about witches, do you?"

"Well, I could say the same for you_-hey!"_ the former genin guffawed, not so much stung by the insult as alarmed by what came next; when Theodora started to shrug off her coat, revealing the white blouse beneath. "Um, what are you doing?" He stared at her for a moment in outright wonderment. What on earth was she doing? She seemed so _small_ beneath that red jacket, and without her hat to hide it, her perfectly coifed hair was left to cascade down her shoulders in a curtain of raven tresses. She really _was_ beautiful, Naruto realized. There could be no denying it. He leaned forward, to get a better look at her, and the music box clattered out of his back pocket, flopping to the ground between them.

Theodora started in surprise.

Narut blinked; he'd all but forgotten about the little box.

"You've never seen a music box before?"

She shook her head.

"You can have it, if you'd like." Naruto proffered the item to her. "I don't really have much use for it. Besides," he added with a smile, "You'd probably get more use out of it than I ever would." Instead of rejoicing as he had expected her to, Theodora looked crestfallen as she stared at the tiny device.

"No one's ever given me something just because they wanted to." she said in a small voice.

"Really?" Naruto chortled. "A pretty girl like you?"

Theodora flushed the color of her coat.

"You _really_ don't know much about witches," she repeated softly.

"Well, I think its time someone changed that." Naruto pressed the music box into her hands, folding her fingers around the orante wood workings. "Here." he insisted. "I want you to have it." Theodora accepted the gift tentatively, opening it thereafter. A soft, tlinkling tune arose from its confines, enchanting the two of them. Naruto was oddly reminded of a lullaby he'd once heard as a child. He favored Theodora with an easy smile; a grin that would've set the hearts of most women aflutter back in Konoha. Kami knew how much Hinata had loved that smile. And he'd loved her, too. One year to the day since he'd lost her; and now -here- at this very moment, he found himself starting to feel again.

"Now you're going to tell me now one's ever asked you to dance before."

The witch shook her head.

_"None one ever has."_

"Never given you a gift, never danced," Naruto mumbled to himself, standing from the log abruptly, "Jeez!"

"Pardon?"

With a gentleman's bow, he offered her his hand.

"I think its high time that you learned."

"M-Me?"

"I don't see anyone else around, do you?" For a moment, he thought she might refuse, then she smiled and gave a tiny nod; a sligth a bob of the head that sent her raven tresses swaying. Slowly, tentatively, Theodora accepted his hand and allowed him to pull her upright; delicately curling her fingertips around his palm as he rose.

"Put your hand like this." Naruto raised his hand, palms upturned, fingers splayed. She regarded him skeptically for a moment before placing her own hand against his. "There." Naruto nodded in affirmation. "Now, you just step closer like this," Naruto circled an arm round her waist, beckoning her, pulling her closer."Here." Theodora complied...though not in the way he expected.

"Oh?"

Theodora stepped forward meekly, tentatively, pressing herself against him as though she were afraid he'd vanish into mist; as though this were all some wonderful dream from which she might wake at any moment; a terrible phantasm meant to haunt and torment her in her loneliness. Naruto gulped, trying desperately to recall the dancing lessons ero-senin had hammered into his head during their training trip. Honestly, he'd hadn't thought he'd actually make use of them in such a fashion...

"Ow!" He winced as her heel crushed his toe.

"Sorry!"

"No, its alright." the blond chortled, cringing. "Q-Quite alright. I'm not exactly the best dancer either...

He drew her forward, then back, allowing her to find her rhythm in the soft lullaby.

"It's nice, isn't it?"

She smiled, suddenly shy beneath his gaze.

"Yes, wizard-erm, sage," she ammended at his frown,"It certainly is...

Naruto sighed.

"Naruto."

She blinked her long lashes at him in confusion-kami!-did she have any idea of the effect she was having upon him?! Absently, he found himself staring at her, peering deep into those dark, luminous orbs. Stop. Staring at her! He tried not to stare, he really did, but his body wasn't listening to him. To his initial charign, Naruto felt his hand slip lower upon her waist than was absolutely necessary; watched keenly as Theodora's lower lip quivered beneath the motion, _felt it _as she stepped closer, just a tad.

"Just Naruto will do." he breathed.

Theodora practically melted there on the spot as she replied, "Naruto, then. But tell me, what is a sage?"

He considered her question for a moment, never once pausing in their dance.

"Well, a sage is...I suppose he's like a wizard." Naruto replied as she twirled away from him, drawing her close once she'd reached the length of his arm. "Were I come from, a sage is the strongest of the strong. Wisest of the wise, and a force dedicated to good for all. I suppose you could say he's very much like a wizard." He paused in their dance abruptly and drew Theodora closer; their bodies flush together, her warmth, against his warmth. "Does that answer your question, m'lady?"

Theodora's face was the color of her coat.

"I suppose..." Their faces were close now, incredily close.

He felt drawn to her and she him. A spark of something-of emotion-drew them closer still.

_Thanks for everything, hime._ Naruto mentally thanked prayer to Hinata Hyuuga as their lips inched closer to one another. _I'll always love you. But I think...finally, I'm ready to try again..._

Naruto knew not who kissed whom nor when or how it started; only that Theodora's lips were suddenly against his and he was content to leave them that way. His thoughts of the finding a way home were suddenly far and away as the witch peeled off his coat, casting it aside. Abruptly she stepped back, flushing at what she'd just done.

"You must think I'm being horribly forward-

Naruto didn't give her time to finish that sentence.

He pressed his lips against hers. Lips so different from his own; softer, as soft as rose petals, fuller, holding him in thrall at very first brush. He pulled back, marveling, and then he went in again...marveled anew at the decadence of her...then again, and this time, moaning, she opened for him.

Her tongue rolled against his, bringing with it the tastes of summer: berries dipped in cream, newly blooming roses and sultry midnights. He dipped lower still, face brushing against hers and she came alive in his arms; lurching up from the bed to meet him, wrapping her arms round his neck with a planitive cry. As focused on her as he was, he was able to follow her lead. When her tongue thrust, he knew to meet it. When her tongue retreated, he knew to chase it. He relished every new experience, growling with a sudden desire for more. More..._everything._

Her fingers slicked through his hair, decadent sensations dancing over his scalp, tickling skin that had not been touched by another's hands in nearly a year. And then she was stradling him, atop him, pushing him down to the ground, pressing against him with unrelenting fervor. Naruto yielded gladly, allowing her to have her way with him; reveling in the warmth of skin against skin.

_And thus was the night._

**A/N: Well damn! Naruto's quite the charmer in this fic, isn't he? Having lost both Kurama, and the ability to heal from his wounds, he's feeling more than a bit vulnerable right now. All he has left of the old fox is the cloak, and all the abilities-bar healing-that come with it. That's going to play a pivotal role in this story! And what of Theodora's fate? Now that she's with someone who seems to genuinely care about her, might her fate turn out to be different than in the movie? **

**I wrote it simply because I felt bad for Theodora and the way she was taken advantage of. Again, if you have not bought the Oz movie, get your ass out there and buy it! Its well worth the price! That's all folks! ****I worked straight through the night on this story, so I would sincerely appreciate your feedback, whatever it might be! Hopefully it'll be positive...LOL**

**So, in the immortal words of Atlas...**

**...Review...would you kindly? And enjoy the preview! **

**(Preview)**

_"__Isn't he wonderful?" Theodora gushed at her sister as Naruto left the room. "Didn't I say he would come?"_

_Evanora bristled._

_"You dare escort that blond bufoon in here and...and allow him to climb on the hallowed throne?!"_

_"And why not?" Theodora argued, "He is the wizard! A sage, no less!"_

_"A sage...or so he says." her sister scoffed. "Did it not occur to you that he might be an imposter, in league with the wicked witch and sent here to kill us?"_

_"Wicked witch, don't be ridiculous."_

_"Oh, I'm not the one who's underestimating her cleverness."_

_A look of horror dawned on her face._

_"Or maybe its you I'm underestimating. Have you finally joined her side, sister?"_

_"I am on no one's side, you know that. I only want peace, that's all I've ever wanted and the wizard can do that, he's a good man."_

_"What do you know about goodness?" Evanora spat back, "Deep down you are wicked."_

_"I am not wicked!"_

_Unbidden a fireball leapt from her hand, crashing into_

_"That temper, really is wasted on you."_

_"Is it?"_

_Both witches nearly jumped clear out of their skin as Naruto strode back through the doors he'd exited only a moment before. His eyes were a fierce shade of scarlet, so unlike the kind sapphire to which Theodora had become acquainted the night before._

_"Alright, lets set a few things straight." The blond hissed, rolling up hi sleeves, "First, I am not an oaf! Second, last time I checked, I didn't associate with any wicked witches, and third...well, I hate to tell you this Theodora, but your sister is a complete and total **bitch!"**_

_He felt their eyes on him and coughed._

_"What?" he shrugged. "Somebody had to say it."_

**R&R! =D**


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